Switch contact

• US 7,030,329 B1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flextronics Automotive Inc
• Original Assignee: Solectron Invotronics
• Inventors: Sneek, Brian, Warren, Gary, Grills, Reginald, Chamuczynski, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedhofer, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US10/969,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20060086598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 200/512, 200/513, 200/516, 200/517, 200/292, 200/16.R, 200/16.B, 200/275
• US Class Current: 200/292
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/79 characterised by the form of the contacts, e.g. interspersed fingers or helical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/02 Interspersed fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/054 for redundancy, e.g. several contact pairs in parallel

Abstract

A conducting contact pair for a switch has a first conducting contact formed by a plurality of outward extending radial fingers arranged on a substrate, and a second conducting contact formed by a plurality of inward extending radial fingers. The first conducting contact and the second conducting contact are arranged with each inward extending radial finger extending between a corresponding pair of adjacent outward extending radial fingers. A bridge conductor is selectively pressed against the first conducting contact and the second contact to bridge any of the inward extending fingers to either of pair of adjacent outward extending radial fingers that it extends between.

Claims

1. A switch conductor comprising:

a substrate;

a first conductor arranged on said substrate, said first conductor having an outer conductor extending along a first substantially circumferential reference line extending around a center point, and having a plurality of first fingers having a tapered shape, each first finger extending substantially toward said center point from a respective position on said outer conductor; and

a second conductor arranged in said substrate, having an inner conductor substantially aligned with said center point and having a plurality of second fingers, each second finger extending from said inner conductor between a respective pair of said first fingers and having a taper substantially opposing that of adjacent first fingers.

2. A switch conductor according to claim 1,

wherein the outward extending fingers include at least a first outward extending finger, a second outward extending finger, and a third outward extending finger, and the inward extending fingers include at least a first inward extending finger extending between the first and the second outward extending fingers, a second inward extending finger extending inward between the second and the third outward extending fingers, and a third inward extending finger extending inward between the third and the first outward extending fingers.

3. The switch conductor according to claim 1, wherein said first and second fingers have substantially opposed curves.

4. The switch according to claim 3, wherein the curves are in the shape of a portion of a spiral.

5. A switch comprising:

a substrate;

a first conductor arranged on said substrate, said first conductor having an outer conductor extending along a first substantially circumferential reference line extending around a center point, and having a plurality of first fingers having a tapered shape, each first finger extending substantially toward said center point from a respective position on said outer conductor;

a second conductor arranged in said substrate, having an inner conductor substantially aligned with said center point and having a plurality of second fingers, each second finger extending from said inner conductor between a respective pair of said first fingers and having a taper substantially opposing that of adjacent first fingers;

a support structure arranged above the first and second conductors;

a movable bridge conductor supported by the support structure to be movable between a first position where said movable bridge conductor does not make electrical contact with at least one of the first and second conductors, and a second position where said movable bridge conductor makes electrical contact with the first conductor and the second conductor, thereby establishing a conducting path between the first and second conductor.

6. A switch according to claim 5,

wherein the outward extending fingers include at least a first outward extending finger, a second outward extending finger, and a third outward extending finger, and the inward extending fingers include at least a first inward extending finger extending between the first and the second outward extending fingers, a second inward extending finger extending inward between the second and the third outward extending fingers, and a third inward extending finger extending inward between the third and the first outward extending fingers.

7. A switch according to claim 6, wherein an electrical conducting path is established between the first conductor and the second conductor by the movable bridge conductor being at the second position and contacting any conductor pair from a first pair, a second pair, a third pair, a fourth pair, a fifth pair and a sixth pair, the first pair consisting of the first inward extending finger and the first outward extending finger, the second pair consisting of the first inward extending finger and the second outward extending finger, the third pair consisting of the second inward extending finger and the second outward extending finger, the fourth pair consisting of the second inward extending finger and the third outward extending finger, the fifth pair consisting of the third inward extending finger and the second outward extending finger, and the sixth pair consisting of the third inward extending finger and the third outward extending finger.

8. A switch according to any of claims 5 through 7, further comprising:

a bias member for urging the movable bridge conductor toward the first position, and a movable translation member having an actuating surface for receiving an external force and an actuator surface for urging against the bias member, arranged such that an external force received at the actuating surface urges the actuator surface against the bias mechanism to move the movable bridge conductor to the second position.

9. A switch according to any of claims 5 through 7, further comprising:

a bias member for urging the movable bridge conductor toward the first position, and a movable translation member having an actuating surface for receiving an external force and an actuator surface for urging against the bias member, arranged such that an external force received at the actuating surface urges the actuator surface against the bias mechanism to move the movable bridge conductor to the second position,

wherein the bias member is a resilient member arranged above the first conductor and the second conductor to cooperate with the actuator surface of the movable translation member and the movable bridge conductor such that it has a resting shape which locates the movable bridge conductor at the first position, and when the actuating surface of the movable translation member receives a predetermined external force the resilient member is urged to an actuated shape wherein the movable bridge conductor to be at the second position.

10. The switch according to claim 5, wherein said first and second fingers have substantially opposed curves.

11. The switch according to claim 10, wherein the curves are in the shape of a portion of a spiral.

12. A switch conductor comprising:

a substrate; and

a pair of interleaved conducting contacts having a plurality of outward radially extending conductors, the conductors having a tapered shape opposed to adjacent conductors.

13. The switch according to claim 12, wherein said opposed tapered shaped conductors further have substantially opposed curves.

14. The switch according to claim 13, wherein the curves are in the shape of a portion of a spiral.

15. A switch conductor comprising:

a substrate;

a first plurality of first conductors extending radially outward from a center reference point, each conductor terminating at a respective distal end and having a wider cross-section at the distal end than a cross-section at the center reference point;

a circumferential conductor extending from a first location to a second location on a perimeter circumscribing said respective distal ends; and

a plurality of second conductors extending radially inward from said circumferential conductor, each of said second conductors extending between an adjacent pair of said first conductors and having a shape to form a substantially uniform space between adjacent pair of first and second conductors.

16. The switch conductor according to claim 15, wherein each conductor further has a spiral curve.

17. A switch conductor comprising:

a substrate;

a first plurality of first conductors arranged on said substrate, each extending from a common conductor, outward from a common center reference, in a respectively different radial direction, each first conductor terminating at a respective distal end and having a narrower cross-section at the common center reference than a cross-section at the distal end;

a circumferential conductor arranged on said substrate, extending from a first location to a second location on a perimeter circumscribing said respective distal ends; and

a plurality of second conductors arranged on said substrate, extending radially inward from said circumferential conductor, each of said second conductors extending between an adjacent pair of said first conductors and having a shape substantially opposed to the adjacent conductors.

18. The switch conductor according to claim 17, wherein said first and second conductors have opposed curves.

19. A switch comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of first conductors arranged on the substrate;

a plurality of second conductors are arranged such that a plurality of air gaps extend substantially outward from a center reference point, each of said plurality of air gaps bounded on one side by a respective one of said first conductors and on the other side by a respective one of said second conductors, said first and second conductors having substantially opposed tapering shapes;

a support structure arranged above plurality of air gaps;

a movable bridge conductor supported by said support structure to be movable between a first position where said movable bridge conductor makes contact with at least one of said first conductors and at least of said second conductors and a second position to bridge across at least one of said air gaps, and a second position where said movable bridge conductor does not bridge any of said air gaps.

20. The switch conductor according to claim 19, wherein said first and second conductors have opposed curves.